On Monday, the United States joined Russia on a United Nations General Assembly draft resolution calling for de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities, and a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. The move is a dramatic change from Washington's earlier position, where it had always stood with Kyiv and against Moscow.
The move comes as tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, have been rising.
The UN General Assembly, which consists of 193 members, voted on the draft resolution entitled Advancing a Comprehensive, Just, and Lasting Peace in Ukraine, presented by Ukraine and its European partners. The resolution was adopted with 93 votes, 65 abstentions, and 18 votes against.
Among the countries in support of Russia were Belarus, North Korea, and Sudan. The vote took place on the third anniversary of the war between Russia and Ukraine. India, which has consistently supported a resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, abstained.
Although it received fewer votes than earlier resolutions of the three-year-long war, the passed resolution severely condemned Russia. It urged "de-escalation, an early end to hostilities and a peaceful settlement of the war against Ukraine, characterized by massive destruction and human suffering, including among civilians, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law."
Later, the U.S. voted in favor of Russia in a Security Council ballot.
Worsening U.S.-Ukraine Relations After Trump's Return
Relations between Washington and Kyiv have worsened since Donald Trump returned to the presidency last month.
Just a week ago, Trump called Zelensky a "dictator," claiming he doesn't have mass support. He also pushed him to "move fast" and put an end to the war. That came after one day of US and Russian officials talking in Saudi Arabia—meetings that noticeably left Ukraine out.
After last Tuesday's discussions, Trump characterized the Russia-Ukraine war as "senseless" and said it shouldn't have occurred at all.
"Russia wants to do something. They want to put an end to the barbarianism that is being done there. Soldiers are being killed by the thousands every week. Other than Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, many Koreans have been killed," he said.
According to reports, since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, Washington has supplied more than $60 billion worth of military aid to Kyiv.
In December, Zelensky revealed that Ukraine had lost about 43,000 soldiers, whereas Russia had lost around 198,000 troops. Meanwhile, the UN approximates that around 12,500 civilians have been killed in Ukraine.
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